ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS - Christopher D. Kingsbury drove a stolen Ford Explorer into police cars, over lawns and finally into a swimming pool in his bid for freedom, Hazlet police have said. They caught up with him and charged him with two sets of crimes three days apart. Then Aberdeen cops charged him with arson and more burglaries.

Now police in Atlantic Highlands say he victimized residents under their protection as well.

Borough police announced Nov. 2 that they had charged Kingsbury, 27, a Bayshore native now living in Little Egg Harbor, with burglary, theft, criminal attempt to commit theft of a motor vehicle, criminal trespass and criminal mischief. Kingsbury was already facing a slew of charges – not just for burglaries, but also two counts of car theft, eluding, hindering apprehension, aggravated assault on a police officer and more.

It began at 3 a.m., when a Hazlet patrolman spotted Kingsbury – already a suspect in a rash of burglaries – in a stolen 2009 Explorer, Hazlet police said.

Kingsbury whipped around a cul-de-sac and into the patrolman's car and two other cars, Hazlet police said at the time. Kingsbury fled down another street, across a backyard and into an above-ground pool.

It took two and a half hours, 15 officers and two K-9s to hunt Kingsbury down, Hazlet police said at the time. They charged him with the first batch of crimes – two counts of burglary, plus charges related to the chase – and sent him to the Monmouth County jail in Freehold.